Medical Capacity Development

To improve UXO accident victims’ rate of survival and rehabilitation after an accident, World Education has, for over a decade, been improving Laos’ emergency and trauma care medical systems through training and the provision of equipment. Since 1995, World Education has been assisting UXO-affected communities by upgrading the medical, surgical, and emergency services of district and provincial health facilities and training emergency medical personnel in clinical, diagnostic, and management skills.

The most recent Medical Capacity Development project began in 2012 and has three main objectives: to improve the trauma care training capacity of Lao medical trainers in UXO impacted areas, to develop a standardized National First Aid Curriculum for the training of Village Health Volunteers, and to develop a curriculum in Critical and Emergency Care Nursing with the Faculty of Nursing Sciences at the University of Health Sciences of Lao PDR.

Beginning in 2012, with funding from the U.S. Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (WRA), World Education developed a trauma care training curriculum and a training of trainer curriculum for medical trainers. In 2014 and 2015, after completion of developing these curricula in 2013, World Education (with support from the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation and the Ministry of Health) has facilitated two Emergency and Trauma Care Trainings that have reached 70 medical trainers in four provinces (Xieng Khouang, Saravan, Houaphan, and Sekong). These trainings will ensure that Laos Medical Trainers will be able to take responsibility for and implement emergency and trauma care trainings in their hospitals.

In 2014, The Medical Capacity Development team worked with the National First Aid Technical Working Group (FAWG), which consists of members from the INGO community and the Ministry of Health, to develop a National First Aid Curriculum. In finalizing the curriculum, World Education facilitated three pilot trainings with 74 total participants who provided relevant and practical feedback on the curriculum. The curriculum was approved by the Ministry of Health in August 2015, and the MCD team has since conducted four training of trainer sessions in Xieng Khouang and Houaphan provinces. Implementation of this National First Aid Curriculum throughout Laos will help standardize first aid care among Village Health Volunteers who provide essential medical care on a community level throughout Laos.

World Education has also supported the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Health Sciences of Lao PDR in developing a curriculum for Critical and Emergency Nursing. When the curriculum development is complete, student and teacher manuals will be developed and Training of Trainer workshops will be held to facilitate the effective utilization of the Critical and Emergency Nursing curriculum at the University of Health Sciences of Lao PDR. This will strengthen the capacity of nursing students in Laos to provide adequate care to UXO accident victims.